Free The Cartographer by Craig Gaydas Page A

turned off the computer and stretched out on the bed. Gard backed himself to a dark corner of the room where he remained, unblinking. After several moments, I propped myself on my elbows and frowned.
    “Um, don't you have somewhere to go?” I grumbled.
    His eyes started their strobe-like dance before he clicked and whirred at me. “ Not at the moment, Nathan. I belonged to the last Cartographer and now I belong to you, which makes your room my current residence .”
    I rubbed my eyes and cleared my throat. “OK, I'll bite. What happened to the last Cartographer?”
    A few more clicks and whirs. “ The last Cartographer was killed in action on Romus Satellite Seven .”
    I sat upright and stiffened. “Jesus Christ, what the hell do you mean he was killed ?”
    “ Jesus Christ: Legendary —” he started, but I waved my hands in the air frantically.
    “Never mind that! What do you mean your last Cartographer was killed?”
    “ Our last Cartographer, Kell, was killed several years ago while scouting hostile terrain on Romus Seven. The official report states that hostile forces engaged the scouting party killing Kell as well as Field Medical Officer Dax. The hostile forces were eventually neutralized and the transceiver equipment was successfully installed. Romus Seven is classified `barbaric' so all future maintenance missions are to be conducted in conjunction with a Defense Fleet contingent .” Gard explained everything so mechanically and devoid of emotion that he could have just as well been explaining how to fold laundry.
    “How often is the scouting party in danger during their missions?” I asked, wide-eyed.
    A couple more clicks, a whir and a buzz that time. “ Please clarify question. Scouting parties are given many missions throughout the course of a voyage and multiplying that by the amount of IPS class Explorer's League vessels traveling at a time and multiply that by —”
    “OK, Jesus Christ, I will narrow it down. How often is the party in danger during scouting missions to newly discovered planets?” I interjected.
    “ Jesus Christ: A legendary —”
    The urge to race across the room and rip off Gard's head swam through my veins. “JUST ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION!” I shouted.
    Clicks and clacks that time. “ Based on historical data, the scouting party is in danger seventy-six point nine percent of the time .”
    I fell back and my head sagged in the pillow. I stared at the ceiling and processed what Gard just said. “Well that's just great,” I muttered.
    I questioned my decision in accepting the position. I knew there were challenges in space exploration or mankind would have mastered it long ago, and I understood the dangers—thoughts of the Space Shuttle disasters in Earth's history came to mind. However, I never expected being some kind of universal map maker would come with such dangers. As I watched the neon light bars on the ceiling project little green shadows along the walls, more questions came to mind.
    “Why so long between Cartographers?”
    “ Simple. No one has passed the test, until now .”
    The people I had come in contact aboard the ship seemed intelligent enough to answer the questions. What made me so special ?
    As if reading my mind, Gard clarified his answer. “ As more secrets of the universe were unlocked, Kell made the decision to add a safeguard to the map to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands .”
    “Not much of a safeguard,” I grunted. “Those questions weren't that difficult, although I think I got lucky on the second.”
    “ Many among the Explorer's League have tried to unlock the map. It was not as easy as you think .”
    I shrugged. “So, since scouting strange planets seem dangerous, what does the scouting party use to defend themselves? I hope for my sake they don't travel to unknown planets unarmed?”
    “ No Nathan, they do not. All members of the scouting party are armed with basic hand cannons and neutralizers .”
    “Hand